The current invention is generally related to cellular phones, and more particularly related to features that are useful in controlling an operational mode of remote cellular phones as well as in retrieving them when they are lost or left behind.
It has been difficult to locate and retrieve misplaced or stolen portable wireless communication terminals such as cellular telephones. It has been also difficult for a finder of a lost cellular phone to locate the owner. In some instances, the finder abuses the lost cellular phone, and the original owner is responsible for those calls unless he or she terminates or suspend the cellular service. Although some cellular phones are equipped with a personal id feature to lock the operation, since this feature requires a user to enter a personal id every time the phone is powered on or a call is made, it is cumbersome to some users.
To improve the above problem, Japanese Laid Patent Publication No. Hei 9-312687 discloses a cellular phone with a crime-preventive feature. When the cellular phone with this feature is lost or stolen, an owner of the cellular phone is able to remotely shut off the lost or stolen phone. In order to remotely block the calling capability, the original owner calls the lost or stolen phone from any telephone. If the stolen phone has an off-hook response to the above call, the normal operation of the stolen phone resumes. On the other hand, the stolen phone fails to have an off-hook, the stolen phone initiates a mode switching process by incrementing a counter. When the counter value reaches a predetermined number of incomplete calls, the mode switching process establishes connection with an incoming call and generates a predetermined audible signal. Upon hearing the audible signal, the original owner enters a predetermined personal identification number to switch the operation of the lost cellular phone. When the entered personal identification number matches the predetermined personal identification number, the mode switching process generates another audible signal to indicate to the original owner that the lost cellular phone is now blocked. The blocked cellular phone can only receive incoming calls and prevents the abuse by the founder. Upon confirmation of the blocked mode, the original owner terminates the mode switching process. The mode switching process can be reinitiated by the above described acts and reverse the blocked cellular phone for normal operation.
The above described prior art reference still fails to solve some issues. One issue is that the owner has to possess or remember a predetermined personal identification number in order to remotely block a remote cellular phone. In addition, the personal identification number is remotely inputted into the remote cellular phone only when the connection is established. For some reason or another, if the connection is not established, the remote phone cannot change its operational mode. The mode switching process cannot be independently completed without the connection and the correct personal identification number. Significantly, the above described prior art reference fails to provide a solution for facilitating the return of a remote cellular phone to an original owner.
In order to solve the above and other problems, according to a first aspect of the current invention, a method of remotely switching an operation mode of portable wireless communication terminals via a wireless network, including: inputting mode switch parameters including a time period and a number of terminations to a first portable wireless communication terminal in a normal operation mode; storing the mode switch parameters in the first portable wireless communication terminal; attempting to connect to the first portable wireless communication terminal from a single second wireless communication terminal when a predetermined event occurs; determining whether or not the single second portable wireless communication terminal has attempted to connect to the first wireless communication terminal without an off-hook at the first wireless communication terminal for the number of the terminations within the time period; and switching an operation mode of the first wireless communication terminal from the normal operation mode to a lost mode in response to the determining.
According to a second aspect of the current invention, a system for remotely switching an operation mode of portable wireless communication terminals via a wireless network, including: a first portable wireless communication terminal; a second portable wireless communication terminal further including: an input unit inputting mode switch parameters including a time period and a number of terminations to be used for switching an operation mode from a normal operation mode to a lost mode; a storage unit connected to the input unit for storing the mode switch parameters; and a processing unit for generating a mode switch signal when an identical one of the first portable wireless communication terminal has attempted to connect to the wireless communication terminal without an off-hook at the second wireless communication terminal for the number of the terminations within the time period, the processing unit switching the operation mode of the second wireless communication terminal from the normal operation mode to the lost mode in response to the mode switch signal.
According to a third aspect of the current invention, an apparatus for remotely switching an operation mode of portable wireless communication terminals via a wireless network, the apparatus communicating with the wireless communication terminals, including: an input unit for inputting mode switch parameters including a time period and a number of terminations to be used for switching an operation mode from a normal operation mode to a lost mode; a storage unit connected to the input unit for storing the mode switch parameters; and a processing unit for generating a mode switch signal when an identical one of the portable wireless communication terminals has attempted to connect to the apparatus without an off-hook at the apparatus for the number of the terminations within the time period, the processing unit switching the operation mode of the apparatus from the normal operation mode to the lost mode in response to the mode switch signal.
These and various other advantages and features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and the objects obtained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.